Sweet potato casserole à la Merceile

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 300 g sweet potatoes
• 300 g chicken breast
• Spice mix (Ras el Hanout, Moroccan)
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground
• 30 g butter
• 40 g flour
• 100 ml cream
• 100 ml milk
• 300 ml water (cooking water from the sweet potatoes)
• Spice mix (Ras el Hanout, Moroccan)
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• 1 dashes lemon juice
• Salt, freshly ground pepper
• 60 g cheese (Gouda), grated
• Paprika powder, sweet

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

slightly exotic casserole with sweet potatoes

Boil the sweet potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes and drain, reserving the cooking water. Season the meat as directed and fry in a little olive oil until golden brown. Then remove the meat and melt the butter in a pan. Add the flour and, while stirring, add the milk, cream, and about 300 ml of the sweet potato cooking water to create a lovely béchamel sauce. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and season to taste with the spices provided. It can be a little spicy, too. In the meantime, lightly grease a baking dish and fill it with the sliced ​​or diced potatoes and the sliced ​​meat. Then pour the finished béchamel sauce from the pan over the dish and mix in the grated cheese with a little paprika. Finally, pour this mixture onto the casserole and bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees C for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Note: Alternatively, you can first slice the meat, season it, and then sear it. I ate the casserole simply with a large, fresh mushroom as a complete meal—but I could easily imagine it being served with a mixed salad as a starter or perhaps even as a side dish.